Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Three months ago, Serpentine trainer Matt Scott spent $6000 to purchase New South Wales pacer En Pariant Sur for stable clients Todd Hughes and his wife Kara and Scott Nelson and his wife Sandy.
And it is proving a wise decision, with the six-year-old En Pariant Sur earning $16,383 from his first three starts in WA.
His excellent frontrunning effort to win the $21,000 Team Bond GP Free Entry Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night followed his first-up second to Fireplay and his sound fourth to Bonstar.
En Pariant Sur was the $3.10 favourite from barrier four, and Shannon Suvaljko stole a march on his rivals by dashing the gelding straight to the front, and an opening 400m section in 28.7sec. took the sting out of his rivals. He then covered the following quarters in 29.5sec., 29.3sec. and 30sec. and won by more than a length from $8 chance Get Ya Bets On, who fought on gamely after racing in the breeze. The winner rated 1.56.3.
Changes of gear played a major part in En Pariant Sur’s victory. The gelding proved quite a handful for reinsman Gary Hall Jnr when he ruined his chances by hanging down badly and finished fourth behind Bonstar three nights before Friday’s event.
“Junior (Hall) had a nightmare drive behind him on Tuesday,” said Scott. “So, after a discussion with Shannon we decided to remove the Dolly Vardon blinkers and the nearside lugging pole and replace them with Block blinkers and a nearside rein pole (a piece of poly pipe with a burr around it). They did the trick, and the horse also got out of the gate much better.
“He is no superstar, but there are more wins in store for him. His owners have been great supporters of mine and they have been racing horses with me, on and off, for about 18 years. They were part-owners of Zed, who was driven by Courtney Burch when he won the $25,000 Rising Stars Invitation final at Gloucester Parkin March 2010.”
En Pariant Sur has now raced 34 times for five wins, six placings and $45,576. He is by American sire Betting Line and is the fourth foal out of unraced Grinfromeartoear mare Leslie Jay, who also produced Castalong Shadow (94 starts for 18 wins, 17 placings and $180,907) and Turquoise Stride (103 starts for 11 wins, 20 placings and $76,837).